Originally Posted by
FT 
Dear weed smokers:
How long did it take after quitting weed entirely for you to start having the ability to enjoy ANYTHING again?
I've tried to research weed detox and there is very little useful information out there. I have a family member whose life has been destroyed by weed. Dropped out of college 15 years ago after smoking weed the previous 10 years, and for the past 15 years has been depressed and anxious, even while smoking weed. I recognize that some of this can be depression self medicated by weed, but this person can't seem to find peace without it. He has been diagnosed bipolar, but I don't think that's his problem. The drugs used to treat it make him far worse, so he's off those.
Now, he is depressed, paranoid, and intensely unhappy. He dropped all his friends from the past when this all started, and he has ruined several relationships because of the weed. So now he is alone, too.
I want to be able to tell him how long it takes to even BEGIN to feel better, free of weed. Yes, he's been to the doctor and even a shrink, but nobody seems to be able to help him. He's a complex guy, truly wonderful person, and a talented musician. The weed is the "black hole" in his personality, or at least the form it takes. He quit weed about 4 months ago but relapsed a few days last week. I knew it when he disappeared off the radar for a few days, because that's been his pattern.
I want to help him. I know how to help myself. Please don't tell me to go to F&F here, nobody on there is talking about this particular drug. I just want to know from the weed smokers out there, some real world experience about how you figured out how to quit and how long it took to start the road back to feeling normal.
Googling PAWS does not help me at all. Done that. I already know all that stuff, and I have my own history of opiate withdrawal and experience with PAWS.
Withdrawal from weed is NOTHING like anything I have encountered. What I am looking for here, is REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE from actual weed smokers, or ex weed smokers, who have quit weed and what they actually experienced.
Thanks for trying to help. But telling me about how to look up PAWS is not helpful.
Not sure there's any need to be so tart FT.
You asked a question and got some experiences/responses.
I can't give you a definitive answer either because, just like alcohol or indeed opiates, it varies.
I gave up pot full time around 15 years ago but I started drinking more to compensate and eventually went back to smoking when I could.
When I finally gave up alcohol and pot in 07, it took about 3 months for me to feel anything remotely like happiness or joy, and then a few more months to trust those feelings.
If your friend has been depressed and anxious for 15 years then there's obviously something else going on here, besides weed.
The weed won't have helped but I doubt simply removing it will be enough to magically transform anyones life who's been emotionally troubled for that long.
I had to start again - revise my friendships, what I did for fun, the way I dealt with problems...all that took a while.
I look back and it took me at least a year to rebuild a life I enjoyed.
It's nice of you to want to help FT but I think all of this stuff is stuff only your relative can do - if he wants to.
D